Category → Analysis
Three-Point Shooting and J.J. Redick
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When it comes down to it, the NBA playoffs are all about matchups and adjustments. For head coaches, and even assistants in different situations, this is their chance to prove their mettle against each other. One of the main storylines that has surfaced in the 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics is the fact that head coach Doc Rivers and assistant coach Tom Thibodeau have constructed an excellent game-plan, more so defensively than anything else.
The Magic have struggled to score, at times, against the Celtics because their options are being limited on offense. Boston has made it their priority to limit the amount of three-pointers (specifically, from the corners) Orlando attempts, let alone makes. The Celtics are wary of the devastation the Magic can cause when they’re making threes in bundles. One of the reasons why Boston has been so successful on defense is that they have the personnel to single-cover Dwight Howard and hound Orlando’s shooters on the perimeter. Open looks have come at a premium for the Magic and unfortunately for them, the problem is being exacerbated given that the Celtics are doing an excellent job of limiting the amount of three-point shots being attempted. For example, even though Orlando shot a good percentage from beyond the arc in Game 2 (38 percent), the number of threes they attempted (18) was less than their average during the regular season (27).
A Quick Rundown on Rashard Lewis’ Struggles Against the Boston Celtics
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Via Peter D. Newmann of ESPN NBA Statistics and Information Research
Rashard Lewis has been an absolute non-factor in this series. This comes after he was a major factor against the Celtics in the 2009 postseason. Lewis has as many points as rebounds in this series. How many of his struggles can be attributed to the presence of Kevin Garnett?
Postseason History vs. Celtics:
2009 2010 PPG 20.4 5.5 FG Pct. 45.5 25.0 3-PT FG Pct. 32.4 11.1 RPG 6.3 5.5 Plus/Minus +40 -13
Video Analysis: Dwight Howard’s Low Post Game … and Dunks
Dwight Howard‘s struggles on offense against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 were catalogued everywhere, it seemed. Everyone far and wide bemoaned Howard’s performance, citing that he’s no better in the post than he was a few years ago. Not only were people preaching that statement like it was canon, for whatever reason, but they were completely ignoring almost every game this year during the regular season when Howard made great strides on the low block.
Game 2 was another example.
Howard’s improvement and productivity can’t be denied, no matter what people may believe.
Dwight Howard Improves Offensively in Game 2
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Via ESPN Stats and Information:
Dwight Howard clearly upped his play in game two. He dominated his two primary defenders (Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace) while racking up fouls by the bucket load.
PTS FG TO Fouls Drawn Wallace 12 4-5 0 3 Perkins 11 4-4 2 3 Davis 4 1-4 0 1 Garnett 3 0-0 1 0
It’s a Make or Miss League
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Via ESPN Stats and Information:
One reason for Orlando’s struggles in Game 1 was its inability to hit jump shots in their half-court offense, which was a strength of the [Orlando] Magic over the course of the regular season and the first couple rounds of the playoffs. They even succeeded on jumpers against the Celtics in the regular season.
FG Pct. Pts. Per Shot Regular Season 39.4* 1.03* Regular Season vs. Celtics 38.5 0.99 1st 2 Rds. of Postseason 40.1* 1.02* Conf. Finals Game 1 32.4 (11/34) 0.79 (27/34) *Ranked in Top 5 in NBA
Orlando’s Rally Falls Short
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As seen on ESPN’s Daily Dime.
The Orlando Magic relinquished home-court advantage with a loss to the Boston Celtics by the score of 92-88 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but not before rallying back in the game after being down by as much as 20 points in the second half. After Ray Allen made a 3-pointer to increase the Celtics’ lead to 13 points with 5:33 left to play in the fourth quarter, the Magic went on a 13-4 run after being thoroughly outplayed for the majority of the game.
One of the spark plugs for Orlando during the comeback was J.J. Redick, who saw minutes at shooting guard as Vince Carter slid over to the small forward position. It was a calculated choice by head coach Stan Van Gundy, given that Matt Barnes was struggling on the floor and having some trouble defending Ray Allen. Perhaps Barnes’ troubles running around could be attributed to the fact that he’s been suffering from back spasms lately. In any case, Redick was able to provide a jolt of energy the Magic needed on both ends of the court — especially on offense, where Redick was able to influence better ball movement and floor spacing for Orlando.
The Magic defense did much to help the cause against the Celtics, too. Many times during the game, Orlando would go on a scoring spurt and cut into the deficit, but almost every time, Boston would respond with a bucket or two. However, in the final period, the Magic were able to string together stops defensively. Dwight Howard, who struggled on offense, was able to make a few key blocks to keep the Celtics from scoring. Redick did an effective job of chasing Allen around screens and running him off the 3-point line whenever possible. There are more examples of Orlando’s defensive efforts but these are some of the sequences that stood out the most.
Fast-forward to the end of the game: the Magic were able to trail by as little as two points with eight seconds left after Carter purposely missed his second free throw attempt and Jameer Nelson, somehow, maneuvered his way into the lane to make a layup off the miss. However, Allen was able to make his free throws and that was essentially the ball game. It was an excellent effort by Orlando, to not give up after trailing by double-digits for the majority of the game, but it wasn’t enough.
A Closer Examination of Dwight Howard’s Struggles on Offense in Game 1
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Via ESPN Stats and Information:
During the first two rounds of the playoffs, Dwight Howard was a dominate force in the post. Howard entered Sunday leading the playoffs in field goal percentage on post-ups at 71.1 percent (27-38) (minimum 10 plays), scoring 78 points on 78 post-up plays. On Sunday, Superman was shut down by the Celtics as Howard shot 25 percent and scored 9 points on 13 post-up plays.
Post-up plays:
First 2 Rounds Sunday Plays/game 9.8 13.0 FG Pct. 71.1 25.0 Pts/Play 1.00 0.69
A Look at How the Boston Celtics’ Starting Lineup Fares Against the Orlando Magic
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Via ESPN Stats and Information:
Boston’s starting five of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins destroyed opponents this season, posting the highest +/- of any 5-player combination in the regular season (+298). Against [the Orlando Magic], however, this lineup was far from dominant.
Vs. Orlando Vs. All Others Points per 100 poss. 101.2 114.2 Opp. Points per 100 poss. 113.2 100.0 Net Points per 100 poss. -12.0 +14.2 Net Points -27 +22
Dwight Howard Needs to Stay on the Floor Against the Boston Celtics
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Via Peter D. Newmann of ESPN Statistics and Information Research:
Dwight Howard will be a huge factor in this series. Can Boston get into the paint and score against the [Orlando] Magic while Howard is in the game?
2009-2010 regular season vs. Boston Celtics:
Howard On Court Howard Off Court FG Pct. 39.7 45.8 FG Pct. in Paint 49.5 52.3 Points in the Paint 102 46 Net Points -27 +22
A Progress Report of “The Magic Show,” Part II
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With the Orlando Magic halfway home to their goal of winning a championship, it seems more than appropriate to conduct a progress report on each player that has been in head coach Stan Van Gundy‘s 10-man rotation (excluding Ryan Anderson, due to lack of minutes) since the start of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. The reports will serve to track a player’s performance at the midway point of the postseason.
There will be no grades handed out, just comments attached.
Today, the starters.
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Rashard Lewis (36.9 minutes per game):
| PER | TS% | eFG% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.0 | .573 | .539 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 10.9 | 19.4 |
| 19.1 | .700 | .678 | 9.3 | 12.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 13.0 | 18.2 |
Lewis has been fantastic, plain and simple. Even though the Magic aren’t relying on him as heavily as they did last year in the playoffs, Lewis has made up for working with a lighter workload by being ridiculously efficient on offense. The numbers show that. And this hasn’t been the case, of course, but it just seems like Lewis has been practically making every shot he’s put up. If anything else, Lewis has shown why he’s the best stretch four in the NBA. How?
Lewis completely neutered Smith’s effectiveness on defense, just by operating on the perimeter. This is the same Josh Smith that finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting and is regarded as a good defender, even if his individual D is suspect at varying times. That’s why stretch fours are valued, and Lewis is ahead of the rest of the class.
Lewis has been awesome offensively and what’s been most encouraging about his stellar play is that he isn’t just shooting threes. Lewis has shown a willingness to use the jab step to create space for an open mid-range jumper, put the basketball on the floor and attack the basket, and overpower his way on the low block and nail that silky-smooth fadeaway jumper of his. Lewis has displayed his full repertoire on offense and it’s been beautiful to watch.
